From Middle English hayl, haul, from Old English hæġl, hæġel, hagol (“hail”), from Proto-West Germanic *hagl, from Proto-Germanic *haglaz, of uncertain origin. Either from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰlos (“pebble”); or alternatively from *ḱoḱló-, a reduplication of *ḱel- (“cold”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hail (“hail”), West Frisian heil (“hail”), Low German Hagel (“hail”), German Hagel (“hail”), Dutch and Swedish hagel (“hail”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Icelandic hagl (“hail”). Compare also Old Norse héla (“frost”). Doublet of haglaz, if the second etymology (“cold”) is correct. Root-cognates outside of Germanic include Ancient Greek κάχληξ (kákhlēx, “pebble”), or alternatively Sanskrit शिशिर (śíśira, “cool, cold”), possibly also Lithuanian šešėlis (“shade, shadow”), depending on the etymology.
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Climatology, Meteorology, Natural sciences Balls or pieces of ice falling as precipitation, often in connection with a thunderstorm.
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Climatology, Meteorology, Natural sciences An occurrence of this type of precipitation; a hailstorm.
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Broadly A rapid, intense barrage by a large number of projectiles or other objects.
Their lack of good intelligence also meant that they vastly overestimated the size of their foes for far too long, hails of armor-piercing shells doing comparatively little damage compared to the high explosive that they should have been using.2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 40:01 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 03 Nov 2022:
Etymology From Middle English haylen, haulien, hawelien, from Old English hagolian, hagalian (“to hail”), from Proto-West Germanic *haglōn, from Proto-Germanic *haglōną (“to hail”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Saterland Frisian hailje (“to hail”), West Frisian heilje (“to hail”), Dutch hagelen (“to hail”), German Low German hageln (“to hail”), German hageln (“to hail”), Danish hagle (“to hail”), Swedish hagla (“to hail”), Norwegian Nynorsk hagle, hagla (“to hail”), Faroese hegla (“to hail”), Icelandic hagla (“to hail”).
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To have hailstones fall from the sky.
They say it's going to hail tomorrow.
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To send or release hail.
The cloud would hail down furiously within a few minutes.
Etymology From Middle English heyl (“healthy, sound”), from Old Norse heill, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, entire, healthy”). The verb is from Middle English heilen, itself from the adjective. Doublet of whole, hale, and heil.
Etymology From Middle English heyl (“healthy, sound”), from Old Norse heill, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, entire, healthy”). The verb is from Middle English heilen, itself from the adjective. Doublet of whole, hale, and heil.
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Archaic, Poetic An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.
Hail, brave friend.c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
Hail (Hail) / What's the matter with your head? Yeah / Hail (Hail) / What's the matter with your mind / And your sign and-a, oh-oh-oh / Hail (Hail) / Nothing the matter with your head, baby, find it / Come on and find it / Hail1974 January 23, Lolly Vegas, “Come and Get Your Love”, in Wovoka, performed by Redbone, track 6:
Etymology From Middle English heyl (“healthy, sound”), from Old Norse heill, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, entire, healthy”). The verb is from Middle English heilen, itself from the adjective. Doublet of whole, hale, and heil.
[…] Farewel happy Fields / Where Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrours, hail / Infernal world, and thou profoundeſt Hell / Receive they new Poſſeſſor: […]1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 249–252:
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To name; to designate; to call.
Such a Son as all men hail'd me happy;1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 28:
He was hailed as a hero.
3
To call out loudly in order to gain the attention of.
Hail a taxi.
'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket / And the other one is hailin' a taxi cab1995, Alanis Morissette, “Hand In My Pocket”, in Jagged Little Pill:
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Australia, UK, Broadly To indicate, from a designated stop or otherwise, to the driver of a public transport vehicle that one wishes to board and travel on the vehicle, usually using hand signals such as waving.
In Melbourne, you would usually have to hail a tram when you are travelling late at night and there are no other passengers waiting at your stop.
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To signal in order to initiate communication with.
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In the game of uppies and downies, to throw (the ball) repeatedly up and down at the goal location, in order to score a point.
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to originate (from), be native (to) or be based (in)